Friday, November 7, 2014

HAYWARD | SCHOOL BOARD | Incumbents Lisa Brunner and William McGee won re-election to the Hayward school board Tuesday night. Two seats were open to just three candidates.

Brunner, who along with McGee, were both elected four years ago, won 42 percent of the vote. McGee, who served as board president last year, garnered 31 percent. Hayward business owner Marita Cheng finished with 26 percent.

"The campaign was a tough one...the misnomers were rampant, but people reassured me on the campaign trail that they knew the truth. The voters showed it," McGee told his supporters. "With another four years comes continued growth and strengthening our education system."

Hayward voters also overwhelming approved Measure L, which allows the school district to issue $229 million in bonds to rebuild its school infrastructure. Hayward voters passed the measure with 77 percent approval. The measure needed 55 percent for passage.

The Board and staff are doing an excellent job as evidenced by the recent public vote of confidence on Measure L. Now that Sweeney is gone perhaps HUSD and the city can establish a positive working relationship.

New construction means a very strict compliance,and oversite to standardization of construction, plumbing fixtures, heating and cooling systems and furniture and in the new schools. Customizing means that each school will be unique and harder and more costly to maintain in the future. The last bond had many flaws because the district had no control in the construction or materials or products used.

Measure L is just another rip-off for the tax payers. So many over lapping measures meant to help the schools, but this one was backed by the Trades. Take a look at your property tax bill and see all the other measures that we are stuck paying for. More money means means wasteful spending for pipe dream projects.